UPDATED: Mystery object may have been identified

Pig's head? Pig's head?

THE mysterious object in the River Parrett which brought Bridgwater to a standstill may have now been identified.

Mercury reader Tanya Clarke sent in this photo, saying it is fact a pig.

She said: "I saw it on the way to Asda yesterday afternoon. The stick was already there. It's definitely a pig - a full pig. I saw it on Tuesday when it was drowning."

On Tuesday afternoon, cars parked on yellow lines and on grass in a rush to see the mystery object.

The news broke on this website and now a debate has broken out about what it might have been.

Andrew Coles told the Mercury he came running out of Central Motor Co thinking somebody had jumped into the water, and he heard rumours a body was in the river.

He said: “I think it was a pig or cow’s head. But I heard people saying ‘look, you can see a hand!’ But I think it was just the animal’s ears flopping around.”

Steve Chinn, from Central Motor Co, said: “I just went out to see where all my staff had gone. I saw them out there looking at this object.”

Adam Brame added: “The town was gridlocked with everybody coming to have a look. The town almost came to a standstill.”

Our story has been read by thousands of people world-wide and had been trending on Twitter. People tweeted “Breaking News from the UK” – please retweet. Julie Benson, from Taylors Barbers, said she thought the object was a stone, while Jamie Meakin thought it was a dog.

But the consensus, supported by Adam Brame, Craig Little, Steve Chinn and Lewis Teather was that it was a pig’s head.

Some people waited for around two hours and said they did not see the object removed and believe it is still in the river.

Mercury reporter Angela Brennan returned to the scene today and could find no sign of the object.

Coral Pople told the Mercury at the scene yesterday: “I’ve been here for 45 minutes. Everyone was saying it was a turtle – but it looks more like a pig to me.”

Police officers also attended the scene but left shortly after.

Have you seen it? What do you think it is? Leave your comment below.

Comments(93)

sweetcow says...
5:04pm Mon 4 Apr 11

my stepdad said it look like a calf or pig.

cedarbox says...
5:14pm Mon 4 Apr 11

If it's a pig it could still be alive but very tired - I hope someone has been sensible enough to get the rescue services or RSPCA.

sheldoncooper says...
5:37pm Mon 4 Apr 11

i saw the picture and thouht it was the opening of some new public toilets to replace the bus station ones !

MelodyMan says...
5:51pm Mon 4 Apr 11

How the bloody hell can you not differentiate between a small turtle and big fat pig?! Hahahaha

lovelysunshinefluffybunny says...
6:17pm Mon 4 Apr 11

perhaps its a wale or a dolphin washed off corse by the sunami in Japan?

@cedarbox, pigs float so I don't think its one of those. Pigs are lighter than water I saw a program about it on Sky3

ms ratty says...
6:22pm Mon 4 Apr 11

There was a dead sheep in there the other day, maybe its that

lovelysunshinefluffybunny says...
6:25pm Mon 4 Apr 11

no thats in langport now. I saw it at the weekend. It was definely dead. No breathing.

s.a.m says...
6:47pm Mon 4 Apr 11

if it was a pig then it will just be left just like the cow last year which was reported to many people who didnt wanna know it was then out at steart rotted and even then the stinking carcus was left there.

BlackKnight_UK says...
7:16pm Mon 4 Apr 11

This story just goes to prove all we need to attract people to the town centre is the occasional UFO in the river!
(Unidentified Floating Object)

ianeggbert says...
8:11pm Mon 4 Apr 11

was it a big cat? :-)

Son of Dredgewater says...
8:15pm Mon 4 Apr 11

It is the remnants of the dignity of sdc

Snow Eagle says...
8:43pm Mon 4 Apr 11

Small picture, hard to make it out, looks a bit like a Ghoul.

JULIETBRAVO says...
9:05pm Mon 4 Apr 11

Son of Dredgewater , Bridgwater.

Well said nobody else spotted that !! I
looked at the picture with the coach facing this way and Eastover behind where was the coach going ? Looks like a National Express and there is no way it would have driven around passed the old Argos and past the library unless the road has been widened since 8.30am this morning.Just an observation.

chill12 says...
9:14pm Mon 4 Apr 11

the coach was blatantly dropping tourists off to see what was making headline news!

mikeymike says...
10:25pm Mon 4 Apr 11

Son of Dredgewater wrote:
It is the remnants of the dignity of sdc
It wouldn't be that large then XDDD

vanman20 says...
10:28pm Mon 4 Apr 11

I cant believe this is news... is there that little going on round Bridgwater?

BlackKnight_UK says...
11:54pm Mon 4 Apr 11

Ah, that's why there's a crowd, they were on the bus!

Anything odd in Bridgwater and they bus 'em in!!

mikeymike says...
8:40am Tue 5 Apr 11

Kit the Brit...get printing those "parrot ness" t-shirts!!

Duckorange says...
9:58am Tue 5 Apr 11

Is it the Mercury's journalistic integrity, floating away downstream?

daboy says...
12:12pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Found it! http://io9.com/#!578
8831/it-took-a-few-d
ozen-people-includin
g-special-forces-sol
diers-to-capture-thi
s-sacred-giant-turtl
e/gallery/

daboy says...
12:12pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Found it! http://io9.com/#!578
8831/it-took-a-few-d
ozen-people-includin
g-special-forces-sol
diers-to-capture-thi
s-sacred-giant-turtl
e/gallery/

scally666 says...
12:40pm Tue 5 Apr 11

its a giant turd left by someone who didnt make it from bus station to closest open public toilets

bigcopinasmallvillage says...
2:08pm Tue 5 Apr 11

eeeeer, i just troid floating a pig. DIDN'T BLOODY WORK! You owe me a prize pig now @cedarbox. Who's going to keep me warm at night now?!

GGGG says...
2:30pm Tue 5 Apr 11

I reckon its some household waste that someone was forced to dump because they couldn't afford the new charge (fine) at the recycling centre...

Phantom1974 says...
2:31pm Tue 5 Apr 11

It was Yeovil Town's former player Warren Patmore.

nickrunner says...
2:42pm Tue 5 Apr 11

It is quite obvious that it is the Virgin Mary in the water there.

Goeters says...
2:53pm Tue 5 Apr 11

lovelysunshinefluffy
bunny
wrote:
perhaps its a wale or a dolphin washed off corse by the sunami in Japan?

@cedarbox, pigs float so I don't think its one of those. Pigs are lighter than water I saw a program about it on Sky3
@lovelysunshinefluff
ybunny

"@cedarbox, pigs float so I don't think its one of those. Pigs are lighter than water I saw a program about it on Sky3"

No no, that's witches.

Mr Pedant says...
2:54pm Tue 5 Apr 11

scally666 wrote:
its a giant turd left by someone who didnt make it from bus station to closest open public toilets
It's exactly what scally666 suggested.
Someone was caught short when they realised that the bus station loos had been closed. It's not a pig, it's a turdle!

Goeters says...
3:01pm Tue 5 Apr 11

lovelysunshinefluffy
bunny
wrote:
perhaps its a wale or a dolphin washed off corse by the sunami in Japan?

@cedarbox, pigs float so I don't think its one of those. Pigs are lighter than water I saw a program about it on Sky3
I've just checked on Wikipedia and witches definitely float. It's definitely witch.

trubbled says...
3:21pm Tue 5 Apr 11

it's really quite cute, so i think it might be a seal. or one of them sea lions. they're pretty cute too. they don't half move quick in the water, though.

Peter Woodman says...
3:37pm Tue 5 Apr 11

looks like a leprechaun to me!

Mrs Aggie says...
3:44pm Tue 5 Apr 11

i heard about i from Mrs Pooter this morn.g and decided to go down and see what i was i madsome sanwitches they was cheese and som pickles soem of that nice carpffily cheddr and branstons and i tuk a bottle of beer butthere was no thing to sea escept some trouists lookig over the brige and then i saw the pig thinmg swiming and it made a noise that sounded like it a parot and it made me spill some o.f the beeer and then i saw bill cuthbert and he ask me for a drink of me beer and then tried to wipe his hands on my skrit and i said no bills you dun do that and he laguhed like a mental man and sounded a bit like the pig thing and then i got scarred and went homo

Curbie Firetank says...
4:01pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Thinking there could be a movie in this!? A great vehicle for Ant and Dec after the desaterous Alien Autopsy - or perhaps Mitchell and Webb(ed). Webb could be the object and Mitchell a renegade cop on the trail of the object's sinister plot to distract the Bridgwater population from a local criminal's plot to rob Greggs!

GGGG says...
4:01pm Tue 5 Apr 11

This non-story reflects more on this 'news' website than the people of Bridgwater to be honest.

Jmark says...
4:07pm Tue 5 Apr 11

And in next week's Bridgwater Mercury 'Crowd points at big silver bird in the sky'

Pourtalieu says...
4:10pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Looks like a coach to me.

Matthew Colledge says...
4:38pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Dear Readers, rest assured we will let you know of any developments in this major breaking story.
Our entire news team will be working round-the-clock to establish whether it was indeed a turtle or a pig.
I understand David Cameron will be making a statement on the matter in the House of Commons tomorrow, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Watch this space,
Matthew Colledge
Mercury News Editor

Goeters says...
4:42pm Tue 5 Apr 11

It's a shopping trolley.

GGGG says...
4:47pm Tue 5 Apr 11

"...entire news team..."
What, both of you?

cupra says...
5:13pm Tue 5 Apr 11

I dunno of this helps, but the name quoted in the story "Coral Pople" is an anagram of "Recall Poop"....... something sinister? ;)

Itwasntme100 says...
5:13pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Two things;
1;It's either an Alien, a dead body or one of the above suggestions of Cow/pig/turdle. Whatever it is...
2: MAN THE HARPOONS!!!

sheldoncooper says...
5:22pm Tue 5 Apr 11

They're waiting for the gates to open to our new Swimming pool - Massive pool with it's own built in mini tidal wave every so often. Could do with a bit more chlorine in the water though :)

schaps says...
5:33pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Am I the only one wincing at the grammatical error in this headline?

Shame on you, Mercury sub-editor.

schaps says...
5:35pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Phew. It's been changed. I can now read on...

Snow Eagle says...
6:42pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Is this object by any chance wearing a concrete overcoat?

rice says...
6:50pm Tue 5 Apr 11

How can you mistake a pig for a turtle. It look's like a lump of turd to me.

Mr Pedant says...
6:53pm Tue 5 Apr 11

........as I said before - a turdle!

JULIETBRAVO says...
8:24pm Tue 5 Apr 11

What a lovely site this has caused at least we all had a laugh at the comments. Well most of us at least I expect there are one or two miseries around somewhere who dont have a sense of humour.

JULIETBRAVO says...
8:25pm Tue 5 Apr 11

What a lovely site this has caused at least we all had a laugh at the comments. Well most of us at least I expect there are one or two miseries around somewhere who dont have a sense of humour.

The Central Scrutinizer says...
9:45pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Crowds of slack-jawed locals gather on the town bridge to point at a floater. How deliciously NFB!

Lordnevets says...
9:54pm Tue 5 Apr 11

When people start parking on Double yellow lines and on grass then it's surely End of Days, Armageddon. Cats and Dogs living together. Pure Anarchy.

I also don't care for people calling my Wife a pig whilst having a swim.
Harrumph!

outcider says...
10:13pm Tue 5 Apr 11

Let me tell you, after reading these stories, I'm never going to drink water straight from the river again.

Sturtz says...
10:42pm Tue 5 Apr 11

You silly fools that was me floating down that river, don't you understand it was me that you were all gawping at as I drifted hopelessly under the bridge. Well I'm out now and I'm coming back to get you....suckers! Mwahahahaha!

regards

Turtlepigman

Orzula says...
12:06am Wed 6 Apr 11

Am I the only one that noticed the comment about floating stones..

'Julie Benson, from Taylors Barbers, said he thought the object was a stone'

He?? must be very confused!

*Flick* says...
9:16am Wed 6 Apr 11

I was surprised to hear about this on Radio 1 last night - "Breaking news from the West country!" The main story they were running was how someone could mistake a pig for a turtle ;) At first I thought it was a wind up til I heard it was in the Bridgwater Mercury!
I have no idea what it could be though, probably just a plastic bag...

Goeters says...
10:01am Wed 6 Apr 11

Lordnevets wrote:
When people start parking on Double yellow lines and on grass then it's surely End of Days, Armageddon. Cats and Dogs living together. Pure Anarchy.

I also don't care for people calling my Wife a pig whilst having a swim.
Harrumph!
That was your wife? Phew, that was a close one. I was going to try to shag it when I thought it was a pig.

dellboy2704 says...
10:06am Wed 6 Apr 11

Official-Its not a turtle or a pig-its the Parrot Boar

BraveSirLancelot says...
10:21am Wed 6 Apr 11

Classic comments, in tears reading them.

Is it a turtle, a pig, a turtle pig, a witch or even one of those rarely seen floating stones....LMAO.

Seriously though, I'm just negotiating the lease on what will be Bridgwaters first Turtle-Pig-Parrett Monster Gift Shop and Tea Rooms.

The first 500 'I seen the Turtle-Pig-Parrett Monster' t-shirts are being printed as we speak.

Goeters says...
10:31am Wed 6 Apr 11

Turtle pig, turtle pig,
Does whatever a turtle pig does,
Can he swim by the bridge
No
He's a pig
Loooook oooouuuut
Don't shag the turtle pig

Noelene says...
11:52am Wed 6 Apr 11

BraveSirLancelot wrote:
Classic comments, in tears reading them.

Is it a turtle, a pig, a turtle pig, a witch or even one of those rarely seen floating stones....LMAO.

Seriously though, I'm just negotiating the lease on what will be Bridgwaters first Turtle-Pig-Parrett Monster Gift Shop and Tea Rooms.

The first 500 'I seen the Turtle-Pig-Parrett Monster' t-shirts are being printed as we speak.
"The first 500 'I seen the Turtle-Pig-Parrett Monster' t-shirts are being printed as we speak."


Can you let us know c/o Tim Blair in the Sydney Daily Telegraph when the shirts are ready? I'll take two, thanks.

Nothing so exciting has ever happened in Wagga Wagga. I'm jealous.

BlackKnight_UK says...
12:00pm Wed 6 Apr 11

"Why arn't all these crowded people at work?"

Because this is Bridgwater where they build new houses all the time but never anywhere for people to work!

I can see it now, Carnival 2011, Gremlins - TurtlePiG


Its probably a dead football stuck in a supermarket trolley and three people stood there pointing at it! You know it works you've done it yourselves.

Get a few people to look at something and point a bit and before you know it there are crowds doing it, press taking photos and putting it on there website, then it gets on the social networks and before you know it its on News at 10!

Cheesy Boy says...
1:25pm Wed 6 Apr 11

I'm surprised there is a mystery as it will most likely be related to one quarter of the town's residents (i.e those that share one of Bridgwater's four surnames)

If something odd were found in the river at Cheddar we would simply sell it to one of the simpletons over in the neighbouring village of Axbridge

barfmuggler says...
1:35pm Wed 6 Apr 11

I think that it is the head of a small pig or perhaps a larger sort of dog. I have seen similar strange sights when I was in the armed forces. I am eighty-four. We should remember that it may be an ominous portent of imminent evil. Beware Bridgwater.

Ding_Dong says...
3:18pm Wed 6 Apr 11

How could they tell Bridgwater had been bought to a standstill?
Was there some announcement?

outcider says...
5:28pm Wed 6 Apr 11

Ding_Dong wrote:
How could they tell Bridgwater had been bought to a standstill?
Was there some announcement?
We all stood still. Duh.

MrMedia says...
6:44pm Wed 6 Apr 11

I can't believe the incredible stupidity of people in this town. Standing there, staring at a dying animal and not doing anything to help, All it would take is a simple phone call to the RSPCA. Goes to prove that people don't have real lives if they can stand there for 45mins to 2hrs staring at an animal, drowning to death. Pathetic!

ms ratty says...
7:07pm Wed 6 Apr 11

Hate to spoil all the speculation, but I just drove over Town bridge and now its low tide you can clearly see a dead sheep caught up on a log, mystery solved. EWE F O indeed

frags27 says...
9:59pm Wed 6 Apr 11

Yawn who cares, haven't people got anything better to do then just stare at muddy water and watch for something to come out. If something was alive at any point, phone the RSPCA/police and move along and carry on with your day and leave the experts to it. What a sad lot of people who have to park wherever they can and shouldn't park there just to have a look. Thank god I was working

tf1123 says...
10:23pm Wed 6 Apr 11

frags27 wrote:
Yawn who cares, haven't people got anything better to do then just stare at muddy water and watch for something to come out. If something was alive at any point, phone the RSPCA/police and move along and carry on with your day and leave the experts to it. What a sad lot of people who have to park wherever they can and shouldn't park there just to have a look. Thank god I was working
Goeters, says...
10:01am Wed 6 Apr 11

Lordnevets wrote:
When people start parking on Double yellow lines and on grass then it's surely End of Days, Armageddon. Cats and Dogs living together. Pure Anarchy.

I also don't care for people calling my Wife a pig whilst having a swim.
Harrumph!
That was your wife? Phew, that was a close one. I was going to try to shag it when I thought it was a pig."

If only this website had a ''Like'' Button.

P.S anyone else having quote problems?

mtbmatt says...
12:43am Thu 7 Apr 11

Here is your answer...

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Ukrtoa_d4
aw&feature=player_em
bedded#at=158

Sorted?

A_Bridg_too_far says...
8:54am Thu 7 Apr 11

Do you mean to tell me this mystery still hasn't been solved?!!! I'm on tenterhooks here, we HAVE to know!

please, WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!?!?

ohdearithappenedagain says...
1:55pm Thu 7 Apr 11

Julie Benson thought the object was a STONE?
Wait, what?
They float?

The Central Scrutinizer says...
4:06pm Thu 7 Apr 11

And now another big earthquake in Japan. Clearly turtlepig = portent of evil.

trubbled says...
9:19pm Thu 7 Apr 11

i find the picture of the turtle pig strangely arousing. his sexy little flippers. his wrinkly little nose. where might i find such a specimen, and what sort of lubricant would be appropriate.
ps i don't want the one that's in the parret, with all those people looking at it. has it no shame. ugh.
dirty.
dirty.

Troutman says...
8:19am Fri 8 Apr 11

Excellent work by Tanya Clarke! She comments in the latest article that she saw the pig drowning yet she didnt think to contact someone to maybe save it! NICE!!!

MrMedia says...
11:38am Fri 8 Apr 11

Troutman wrote:
Excellent work by Tanya Clarke! She comments in the latest article that she saw the pig drowning yet she didnt think to contact someone to maybe save it! NICE!!!
'Excellent work by Tanya Clarke! She comments in the latest article that she saw the pig drowning yet she didnt think to contact someone to maybe save it! NICE!!!'

She was just passing by cos i was with her. She wasn't the one standing there staring at it for 2 hours like others were so why don't you have a go at them? Don't just assume what you don't know. Don't jump to conclusions. And the other hundred odd selfish b*****s that was there could have called someone. So don't just pin the blame on someone who was only passing by!

Kit the Brit says...
2:36pm Fri 8 Apr 11

Anyone can see that it was a big cat.....fish.

BlackKnight_UK says...
9:00pm Fri 8 Apr 11

Several people asked why no one called the RSPCA, have any of you ever tried?
I did once last year, to say they were useless would be an understatement, the TurtlePig would have been fossilized by the time they got there!

Calling Secret World would have been a better suggestion!

Orzula says...
9:48pm Fri 8 Apr 11

If an animal is suffering - no matter what it is - please call the RSPCA. This includes an animal drowning...at least try to save it.

lorna doone says...
8:58pm Wed 13 Apr 11

I had a dream,about a giant turtle the night before,then saw loads of people looking in the river Parett,knew it was weird has this thing been identified yet ?

lorna doone says...
9:00pm Wed 13 Apr 11

I had a dream,about a giant turtle the night before,then saw loads of people looking in the river Parett,knew it was weird has this thing been identified yet ?

lorna doone says...
9:08pm Wed 13 Apr 11

does anyone know what this thing is for real. I believe its a warning sign for this town, a good thing really,we want Marks and Spencers back lol

lorna doone says...
9:11pm Wed 13 Apr 11

Tone it down Taunton lol, at least you have a real town

Alex@SDA says...
11:35am Fri 15 Apr 11

I do love the humour in this town. Brilliant.......

This is a "here today gone tomorrow" story, light-hearted and put a smile on my face.......

Why isn't the Mercury running with something that could be life changing and will effect the town severely with traffic to Hinkley Point C

sawel says...
11:21pm Mon 18 Apr 11

Looked a bit Orange, an floating like a witch. Tis Henson, back to sign for Albion.

Snow Eagle says...
6:44pm Sun 24 Apr 11

No, it wasn"t the Ghould, she"s been seen since. It isn"t Mr. Blobby either, he"s still around too. For how long?. Interesting question. A curse was cast upon Mr. Blobby, over a year ago, that he should "Die of natural causes within one year". Doesn"t seem to have worked, but rumour has it he is coughing a lot recently. Was is it, T.B? (Tuberculosis?). You certainly wouldn"t wish that on Mr. Blobby, let alone the horrors of lung cancer. Maybe his cough isn"t too serious?.

Snow Eagle says...
8:03pm Mon 25 Apr 11

Common, Mr. Blobby, folk are sick of you setting their homes on fire, hiring thugs to lauch sledgehammer attacks on their cars and houses, and generally being the village bully. Why are you a bully, Mr. Blobby?. Did dad thrash you too much when you were a kid, and that"s all you know?. Why don"t you go back where you came from, to Hell, on a one-way ticket?. Send the village folk a nice postcard when you get there.

Snow Eagle says...
11:32pm Mon 25 Apr 11

If this guess has any ring of truth in it, Blobby baby, maybe dad thrashed you, but never tried to frighten you with stories of the Bogeyman?. Now you are an adult, at least in years of age,if not in mentality, you should be aware that there IS a Bogeyman, and the Bogeyman is on your trail. Is the Bogeyman coming to get you, or maybe not?. How will you know?. When your fat flesh creeps with terror, that"s when you"ll know.

Snow Eagle says...
8:24pm Sat 30 Apr 11

Mr Blobby knows no shame. He sets a local house on fire, together with the Kiddy, and comes a few seconds away from murdering an innocent woman. Then he carries on as normal. It is not personal, Mr. Blobby, but you really need to be dead and buried, very soon, to save innocent victims from your sick viciousness.

Snow Eagle says...
8:30pm Sat 30 Apr 11

If the honest folk of Zoyland ever wonder why Blobby and the Kiddy set their neighbour"s house on fire, rumour has it that the Ghould was prevented from creating an illegal access to her land, off their drive. That"s why blobby and the Kiddy nearly murdered their neighbours. Not for any other reason, simply because of that. That"s the story in their village, despite disinformation and lies the Ghoul and her Clan have spread. Honest people of Zoyland, why do you tolerate this nest of vipers in your midst?.

Snow Eagle says...
10:08pm Mon 2 May 11

Blobby baby, did it ever cross your mind that the Ghoul almost got u locked up because u took her scheming at face value?. She knew **** well there was no mistake in the land issue. You stepped in where angels feared. So who"s the sucker here, Blobby?. You of course. Maybe now ur nice new home is nearly ready, u can just dump the fooking bustrd and move in there. It was cosy enough in her lair for a while.

Snow Eagle says...
10:16pm Mon 2 May 11

Hey Blobby they got Mr. Bin Laden. Do u recall how the hijackers cut the stewardesses throat with a box cutter?. This is all nightmare stuff.

click2find

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